I hinted in my post earlier this month that I had a number of exciting projects upcoming. One of them, I am proud to more formally announce today, and will go live next week.
Introducing…
Running for Science: Science for Running, a podcast series devoted to running, the evolution of human locomotion and energetics, and my role as part of the Boston Museum of Science Boston Marathon team this year.
WHAT IS IT?
The podcast series will be a 15-episode (give or take a few) series featuring conversations with scientists (and maybe a few others) who research topics directly and indirectly related to how we understand the evolutionary history of human running. I have structured the series not unlike a course syllabus, so the episodes and scientists will progress from basic aspects of human locomotor anatomy, to more specific details of human gait, fossil foot-trails, human energetics and metabolism, and the neurobiology of running. In reaching out to collaborators on this project, I have really tried to include a diverse range of researchers, with an emphasis on scientists earlier in their careers. My focus in these conversations is on their research, how it informs us about our evolutionary past, how we as the general public might use this information to inform our own understanding of our bodies or our exercise/training routines, and also how the science itself gets done.
There will probably be a few adjustments over the course of the series, but the lineup as currently constructed includes the following collaborators:
Jeremy DeSilva, Associate Professor, Anthropology, Dartmouth College
T. Cody Prang, Graduate Student, Anthropology, NYU
Anna Warrener, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, CU-Denver
Campbell Rolian, Associate Professor, Anatomy, University of Calgary
Maria Fox, Graduate Student, Anthropology, University of Illinois
Kevin Hatala, Assistant Professor, Biology, Chatham University
Habiba Chirchir, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Marshall University
Natasha Mazumdar, Graduate Student, Anthropology, University of Illinois
Adam Foster, Assistant Professor, Anatomy, Campbell University
David Raichlen, Associate Professor, Anthropology, University of Arizona
Cara Ocobock, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, University at Albany SUNY
Herman Pontzer, Associate Professor, Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University
HOW WILL IT WORK?
Next week I will be releasing the first three episodes. From that point on until the marathon (April 15th!), a new episode will be released each week. Each episode will be linked directly from the blog here (in addition to other social media outlets), and will include an accompanying blog post with supplemental information associated with the topics covered in that episode.
In addition to the episodes themselves, I’ll be posting weekly updates to my training, and my own personal journey towards the Boston Marathon, and eventually, reflections on the entire experience (podcast, running, science, and all).
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
The why am I running the marathon at all I’ll address in a subsequent post. As to why I am doing the podcast, SCIENCE! And specifically the kind of public science that the Museum of Science, my charity sponsor, supports. I have always been a big proponent of scientists making their work as publicly available as possible. Much of the work we do as scientists is publicly funded, and the obligation to make the outcome of that work public is intrinsic to the process. But more broadly, I believe that the process of translating science into the public sphere brings with it a lot of related value.
I am particularly passionate about this when it comes to understanding evolution. Evolution is controversial and poorly understood, despite the fact that the evidence and actions of evolution are ubiquitous in the world around us. None of us are unaffected by evolution, and all of us stand to benefit from a better understanding of the topic and its role in shaping the who and the why and the how of human existence. Having said that, that goal it is easier proclaimed than achieved. And teaching evolution is not just a matter of teaching the facts as we understand them, it also involves teaching the context through which we have and do study evolution.
I have taught about human evolution for more than a decade now. I’ve taught in College/University classrooms. I’ve taught in public forums, including in conjunction with my father, a (now-retired) Protestant pastor. I’ve taught online (you can see go through all 12 weeks of my free EdX course if you are interested!). One of the things I have found helpful across each of these settings is finding a topic that allows individuals to make personal connections with the subject. My goal in the podcast is to do that through running! We all move, we all have a common, evolved, musculo-skeletal system. And many of us engage our body in exercise (even long-distance running) on a pretty regular basis. What a great way to learn more about how our body functions, how it moves, and how it came to be that way throughout our evolutionary past? And all from a really phenomenal group of young scientists!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
First, listen to the pocast! Share it with friends, family members, colleagues! And if you have questions about the show, leave a comment or @ me on twitter (@APV2600).
But second, and even more important, consider supporting my run. I am running on behalf of the Museum of Science in support of their traveling education programs. These programs go directly to schools, communities, and groups that might otherwise not have access to the learning resources available at the Museum of Sciences. Last year these programs reached more than 100,000 people in the greater New England region, giving them access to a whole host of high-quality, pedagogically-effective, learning programs.
As a member of the MOS team, I have a fundraising goal of $7500. 100% of these funds go to the MOS traveling education program. I hope that in listening to the podcast, you will find the mission of public science, and the mission of the Museum of Science more broadly, worth your support. If you are in a position to donate, please consider a donation. My team page can be found here (https://give.mos.org/fundraiser/1801782).
Thank you for your support!
